NBA Makes Major Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Announcement Before Game 2 on Thursday

Steve Nash won the MVP award in back-to-back seasons with the Phoenix Suns in 2005 and 2006—a decision that stirred controversy at the time, especially considering the dominant seasons from stars like Kobe Bryant and LeBron James, who many believed were equally or even more deserving.

But with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, there was no such debate. For the better part of the last two months, he emerged as the clear favorite for the award—and the final results reflected that, finishing above Nikola Jokic and Giannis Antetokounmpo. 

Gilgeous-Alexander led the league in scoring with 32.7 points per game, while also averaging 6.4 assists, 5.0 rebounds, 1.7 steals, and 1.0 block per game. He shot an impressive 51.9% from the field and 37.5% from three-point range—efficient numbers for a high-usage superstar.

More importantly, he anchored the Thunder’s rise to the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference, finishing with a league-best 68–14 record—four games ahead of the next-best team.

Now, in his first appearance in the Western Conference Finals, Gilgeous-Alexander has a chance to further cement his legacy by leading Oklahoma City to the NBA Finals—and potentially securing the franchise’s first championship since relocating from Seattle.